1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an installation system that enables easy installation and uninstallation of the water tanks installed on the toilet bowls.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
Water tanks of toilet bowls in the prior art are preferably secured on the water tank mounting area that is provided on the toilet bowl by utilizing the installation holes provided on the water tank and water tank mounting area. The installation holes in question extend to the lower section of the mounting area. The lower section of the mounting area cannot be reached after installation since side walls covers the lower section, and the toilet bowl is usually secured to the ground in such a way that the toilet bowl will be adjacent to a back wall. Therefore, the water tank should be installed before the toilet bowl is installed according to the installation systems of the prior art.
In the case that the installation is made according to the known installation system, it is required that the toilet bowl is completely separated from where it is installed in order to remove the water tank. Separating the toilet bowl from where it is installed is a time consuming procedure in which the drain pipe of the toilet bowl needs to be removed and the risk of damaging the toilet bowl is high.
The patent document No U.S. Pat. No. 3,448,466 A, which discloses one of the embodiments related to the solution of the said problem, uses a threaded stud for fastening a toilet bowl to its water tank. The said stud is inserted into the installation holes on said tank and said bowl, and the stud is tightened by nuts at both ends, and the installation is done. The said embodiment does not offer a solution for the studs to remain in the installation holes in the case that the water tank is again removed after the installation of the toilet bowl. Thus, no solution is offered for the said problem.
The patent document No U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,496 A discloses another embodiment related to the solution of the said problem. In the said embodiment, a stem head extends in at least one axis different from the longitudinal axis of the stem. One more slot is formed on the extended head and two stems arranged in such manner are inserted through the slots on their heads such that the stems extend in opposite directions. Mounted on at least one stem, the nut clamps the stems. By using the bidirectional stem structure, the water tank is installed onto the toilet bowl by means of the nuts. During uninstallation of the water tank, the stems, thanks to the plate structure, remain installed on toilet bowl when the nuts in the water tank are removed. The said embodiment ensures that the water tank can be uninstalled after the toilet bowl is installed. However, the distance between the installation holes in the water tank, unlike the toilet bowls and water tanks of the prior art, should differ from the installation holes on the toilet bowl in order to utilize the developed installation system.
The patent document No DE 10 2006 034463 B3 discloses a device for fastening an add-on part and a support part apart from each other and the device has a mounting nut, comprising an internal thread of a first direction of the thread; a compensating bush comprising an external thread that is adjusted to the internal thread; and a fastening screw, wherein its screw shaft is configured so as to having an external thread of a second direction of the thread which is opposite of the first direction of the thread. The compensating bush is configured so as to having an internal sleeve comprising a head section which has an arrangement of reinforcement zones and adaptation zones, wherein reinforcement zones have a larger resistance than the adaptation zones as opposed to an expansion directed radially outward. The construction of the said embodiment having complicated structure makes the embodiment to produce costly. Beside the cost, the embodiment is not convenient to solve the related problem of installation of a toilet bowl and a water tank.
The patent document No EP 1 503 088 A1 discloses a fastening device to fix two separate members having a relative interval between each other. Said device comprising a bolt in which a male screw portion is formed at a front end side of a cylindrical shaft portion thereof and a spacer which has female screw portion engaging a male screw portion of the bolt and screw fastens with a screw of the first member side and rotates while receiving a rotation torque from the bolt and moves up to a position in which it comes into contact with a second member. In this embodiment, the root diameter of a male screw portion of the bolt is smaller than the diameter of a cylindrical shaft portion, and the inside diameter of the female screw portion of the spacer is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical shaft portion of the bolt. Consequently, the cylindrical shaft portion of the bolt can be passed through the female screw portion of the spacer even if the diameter of the cylindrical shaft portion of the bolt is not reduced in diameter by cutting processing, thereby manufacturing cost being reduced.
The patent document No U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,384 A discloses an apparatus and a method for attaching a gear tooth sensor to an object comprising a tubular portion, a canonically deformable washer, a clamping bar and a bolt. The tubular portion of the apparatus is slidably disposed within a first opening of the canonically deformable washer. The clamping bar has a second opening which is slidably receiving the tubular portion therein, and a third opening receiving the bolt. When threaded bolt is used, the canonical washer is deformed into a generally flat shape, which causes a distal end of the tubular portion to move away from a target by a predetermined distance. Thereby, an accurate set gap is formed between a magnetically sensitive component within the sensor and the teeth of the rotatable target. Such apparatus is especially made for an automobile engine rather than to use for installation of a toilet bowl and a water tank.
The patent document No U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,953 B1 discloses an automatic tolerance compensator for connecting first and second members with a space between said members, comprising a pair of connector components. First connector component is secured to one assembly and second component is threadably installed with a left hand thread into first connector component. Insertion of a threaded fastener, with a right hand thread, into the connector components to initially engage the second connector component causes relative rotation between first and second components so the second connector component advances toward and engages the second assembly member. The threaded fastener also engages the first connector component to provide a secure connection between spaced assembly members. The predetermined space between the assembly members is a failure for described problem for installation of a toilet bowl and a water tank.
The patent document No US 2003/0068210 A1 discloses an assembly for mounting two or more panels or sheets having three members; a first member is mounted into a support, a second member is threaded to the mounted first member and a third member is threaded to the second member. The second member can retain a first panel being a hole or slot located by such hole or slot on the first member. The provided hole or slot is appropriately sized and similarly the third member can retain a second panel which also has a hole or slot located by such hole or slot on the second member. The provided hole or slot is appropriately sized. The invention is designed for mounting panel or sheets, such as a poster.
The patent document No DE 20 2007 008152 U1 discloses a fastening apparatus with tolerance equalization, comprising a receiving element and an adjustment element, a fastening screw. A first thread pairing of a first thread direction is used to screw the adjustment element to the receiving element, and a second thread pairing of an opposite thread direction is used for screwing the fastening screw into the receiving element and connected with the adjustment element via a detachable drag connection. When the fastening screw is turned, the adjustment element also turns. Thereby, tolerance equalization of the receiving element and the adjustment element is provided.
The patent document No FR 2 795 782 A1 discloses a device for assembling two components exhibiting a lateral positioning set in a given direction, comprising a fixing screw which is able to move freely in a smooth through hole provided in the first component; a spacer bearing an external thread capable of co-operating with a tapped through-hole provided on the second component; and an internal tapping capable of co-operating with the fixing screw. The screw friction coefficient is greater than the tapped through-hole friction coefficient, directly or indirectly. The described invention is especially designed to solve technical problem of assembling two parts featuring lateral direction.